The Miami Health District is undergoing a miraculous transformation into a thriving, pedestrian friendly, 24/7 city center complete with world-class medical care, attainable residences, bustling restaurants and shopping, and a host of entertainment and recreational activities. The University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine is playing a tremendous part in the growth and revitalization of this vibrant urban core and the creation of an extraordinary lifestyle for future residents of this area.

By joining forces, the stakeholders in the Miami Health District are pooling their resources to plan for future expansion and to attract private investment while providing the best possible services to the community.

The University of Miami, and in particular, the Miller School of Medicine, is at the forefront of the evolution of the Miami Health District. The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine is poised to be one of the world's great research universities, and is well on its way. UM recently hired some of the nation's top researchers from Duke University, the University of Michigan, UCLA, Columbia and Johns Hopkins - and these researchers have brought with them about $70 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health. And the University of Miami's investing in new state-of-the-art healthcare, fitness and research facilities—three million square feet of space within the next five to 10 years—that will establish the Miami Health District as the international center of innovation and medical excellence.

But the University of Miami can't do it alone; there are others who are helping in this transformation. RiverGrand, a new condominium by mFm Construction, is the first of several residences planned for the Health District that offer moderate prices affordable to middle-income individuals. Other developers will bring additional residential, retail and office space to the District as well, helping to pave the way for it to become the vibrant 24-hour city we all know lies dormant within.

The redevelopment efforts that have, until now, ringed the Health District neighborhood will soon be refocused on this vital area. Private developers have purchased land to build middle-income housing that will allow teachers, healthcare workers and governmental workers to live close to their workplace. The University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine is planning extensive redevelopment that will breathe new life into the Health District and help attract additional bioscience businesses and medical practices. And with the addition of new retail shops, restaurants, office buildings, streetscapes, green spaces, shuttle system and the proposed City of Miami streetcar, the area will become a desirable, pedestrian-friendly city center—24/7.

UM's medical school is at the forefront of the Health District's renaissance, with plans to make a significant, multi-million dollar investment in new development over the next few years. In late 2006, the UM Miller School of Medicine opened a 336,000-square-foot Clinical Research Building and a 60,000-square-foot Wellness Center that will reinvigorate not only its clients but the neighborhood as well. A new Biomedical Research Institute with 182,000 square feet of lab and research facilities is already under construction.

"The University of Miami is investing in new state- of-the-art healthcare and research facilities which will establish the Miami Health District as the international center of innovation and medical excellence," said UM President Donna E. Shalala.

On March 9, 2004, the University joined forces with the City of Miami to create The Miami Partnership, an initiative to revitalize the Civic Center. Mayor Manny Diaz and UM President Shalala are now spearheading this effort to transform the area into a desirable neighborhood to work, live and play as well as to elevate and sustain investment.

To effectuate the goals of The Miami Partnership, the Civic Center has been rebranded as the Miami Health District. Development of new housing, retail and amenities has been encouraged. Employment opportunities will be expanded. And the 30,000 employees who commute to the area every day will be encouraged to move to the neighborhood by improving the quality of life and providing financial incentives.

Since 1995, some $67 million has been invested in new construction in the Health District area. Now, more than double that amount in new projects are under way, with nearly $600 million worth of new development already approved or in planning stages. New schools, stores, parking, housing, parks, restaurants and entertainment will provide needed services to the new residents of the area, as well as employment opportunities.

"The City of Miami is committed to rebuilding the Health District neighborhood," said Mayor Manny Diaz. "We envision it as a 24/7 community where people can come to live, work, raise families and enjoy all that the Miami has to offer."

Savvy investors and homebuyers have already recognized the potential of this up-and-coming area. And when the ambitious plans of The Miami Partnership have been fulfilled, the new Health District will be a dynamic city center and a hub of activity where people will be able to enjoy the benefits of working and living in this revitalized neighborhood.

"The Miami Health District will be reborn as a sustainable community," said Diaz. "Then we can lure people from the suburbs—and their cars—and give them the quality of life they deserve." 

Some 30,000 workers commute to Miami's Health District neighborhood every day to work at the hospitals, courthouse, medical school and government agencies headquartered there. But according to a recent study by the Center for Housing Policy, few can afford to live there.

That's why the area is deserted at night, after hours, when the workers go home. And why this neighborhood north of the Miami River has yet to achieve its full potential.

But a few visionary developers have discovered this gem in the heart of Miami that's bordered by 20th Street to the north, S.R. 836 to the south, I-95 on the east and 17th Avenue on the west. They've seen its waterfront views and meandered its historic blocks and realize that the entire city will benefit if those 30,000 workers are lured from their cars into neighborhoods that are within walking distance of their places of work.

These developers are now planning to build nearly 500 residential units in the Miami Health District, many of which are geared toward middle-income individuals and families now priced out of the South Florida real estate market.

Local developers such as mFm Construction Corp—pioneers in workforce and middle-income housing— are already building pedestrian-friendly housing in the new Health District that will be attainable to the workers there. RiverGrand, a 132-unit luxury condominium by mFm, will soon break ground. More than 50 percent of the residences are sold thanks to mFm's creative programs that enable local workers to achieve the American dream of homeownership.

"If local workers cannot afford to become homeowners, it will be difficult for this area to attract a sufficient work force," said Eli Dreszer of mFm Construction. "The lack of affordable homes for America's working families is a national crisis, but there are solutions. We as developers have a responsibility to make sure that the workers on whom we depend—the health care professionals who care for us, the police officers who protect us and the teachers who instruct our children—can own a safe, luxurious home close to their workplace."

As the condominiums rise, so will retail and office space, as well as restaurants, parks and entertainment venues, to service the needs of the new residents. Schools, parks and new employment opportunities will follow in time.

About $174 million in new projects is currently underway in the Health District area, with another $600 million approved or in the planning stages. New streetscapes are coming that will beautify the area, and a shuttle system will enable residents to leave their cars at home.

Sure, some of the early residents may still have to hop in their cars to drive for groceries or to the dry cleaner. But they'll be getting in on the ground floor of an amazing opportunity—a transformation that the city is promoting heavily in cooperation with the University of Miami and other stakeholders.

"The Miami Health District neighborhood might be a gem in the rough right now, but it's a gem nonetheless," said mFm's Dreszer. "And we intend to make it shine."